Rotary engine.



No. 632,848. Patented sept. l2, |899.

.1. PuTMAN.

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Applrntou led June 4, 1898.) NO HDMI.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

will y Amm; A kvd IBB m @Anwormsl n @VQ ,7] r

No. 632,848. Patented Sept. l2, |899.

J. PUTMAN. v

ROTARY ENGINE.

(Application led June 4, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

27 INVENtnR JnHNFuT AN @d Mw 1 a, WITNESSES 16 1H: wams Farias ca. Fumo-umn.. wAsHmamN. nA c i NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN PUTMAN, OF LOVINGTON, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of LettersPatent No. 632,848, dated September 12, 1899. I

Application led June 4, 1898. Serial No. 682,554, (No model.)

'J'o all 707mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PUTMAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Lovington, in the county of Moultrie and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following is a specification.

Hy invention relates to rotary engines, particularly of the eccentric-piston type, and has for its object to provide a simple, compact, and eflicient construction and arrangement of parts whereby the inlet and exhaust of the motive agent are controlled to produce the maximum eiiiciency by avoiding compression in front or a vacuum in rear of the pistonwings.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double-cylinder engine of the type mentioned wherein boiler and expansion pressures are applied alternately, the piston of one cylinder being exposed to boiler-pressure while that of the other cylinder is exposed to expansion-pressure, whereby the impulse impart-ed to the moving part is due to the combined boiler and expansion pressures and whereby the application of pressure is continuous throughout a revolution of the piston to avoid dead-centers and provide for starting the engine from any point in the revolution of its piston.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear in the following description and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of an engine constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the saine, taken in the plane of one of the cylinders. Fig. 3 is an end view of the casing with the head and the intermediate partitions omitted to show the relative positions of the cylinders and the ports whereby motive agent is admitted thereto. Fig. 4 is a side view of the cut-oft' and piston to show the relative positions of the piston-wing and cut-off ports. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sec- Fig. S is a detail outer side view of the gib. Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of the gib, showing themeans whereby the same is adjusted. Fig. 10 is an end view of the gib. Fig.A ll is a detail sectional view of a portion of one of the cylinders to show the auxiliary orV permanentlyopen feed-port. Fig. l2 is a detail View of the cut-off detached.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in allthe figures of the drawings.

l designates a cylindrical casing, concentric with which is mounted a shaft 2 in bear-v ings 3, formed in the casing-heads 4, said shaft being provided with fly-wheels 5 and suitable pulleys 6 and 7 or with equivalent devices, as maybe preferred in practice. The interior of the casing is divided by transverse inner or contiguous and outer or remote partitions 8 and 9, said partitions being arranged in pairs, whereby between each inner partit-ion and the adjacent outer partition is a cylindrical space, Within which is arranged a cylindrical Wall 10, bolted or other` wise permanently secured to the partitions 8 and 9, which constitute the heads of the cylinders, and said walls 10 are disposed eccentrically with relation to the axis of the casing and also with relation to the shaft 2, whereby the space between the cylinder-wall lO and the casing-wall constitutes an exhaustchamber l1 and main exhaust-port l2 in the cylinderwall l0. The eccentriccylinder heads S and 9, which, as above described, are extended beyond the wall l0 to form partitions in the main casing and also constitute the heads of the exhaust-chambers 1l, are permanently secured to the casing-wall l, and the joint between the outer or remote heads 9 and said casing-wall may be rendered steam-tight by means of suitable packingstrips 13, as shown in Fig. 5. It will be understood that the cylindrical wall lO is arranged between the members of each pair of heads 8 and fl, and the said cylinders are arranged on the quarter, or with one in ad- IOO slides or wings 16, one of these piston-wings being arranged to operate in each of the eccentric-cylinders l0, with its extremities in contact with the inner surface of the cylinder-wall at opposite points. The construction of piston-wing which I have shown in the drawings and which I prefer to employ in this connection is sectional, the same comprising relatively movable parallel leaves or members 16a lb, disposed with their inner surfaces in contact and provided with registering cross sectionally semicylindrical grooves 17 and 1S, respectively arranged transversely and longitudinallyof the leaves or members and constituting spring-seats, in which are arranged the expansion coiled springs 19, to bear terminally against the eX- tremities of the seats, and thus extend the leaves or members both longitudinally and transversely to take up lost motion due to wear between the terminal, the side edges of the wings, and the walls of' the cylinder.v

Each cylinder-wall l0 is provided with an enlargement, in which is formed a cavity 20, in communication, by a steam-port 2l, with the interiorof the eccentric cylinder, and said cavity is also in communication with a feedport 22 formed in the inner head S, and carried by the piston-shaft or titted, as illustrated, upon t-he portion of the piston core or hub between the planes of the spaced inner heads or partitions Sis a flanged cu t-oii" 23, provided with inlet-ports 24, which are extended to form segmental slots for registration with the feed-ports 22.' Each inlet-port 24 is of a length approximating ninety degrees of the path of the piston, although in practice they are preferably made of somewhat less length than ninety degrees, whereby live steam or boiler-pressure is admitted to each cylinder through somewhat less tha-n one-fourth of a revolution of the piston. Obviously the arrangement of the two cylinders upon the quarter provides for admitting boiler-pressure, which enters the steam-chamber 25 (between the inner heads 8) through the supply-pipe 26 to the cylinders alternately, the ports 24 in the cut-off being arranged opposite to each other. Also the ports 2-l are used in duplicate for each cylinder, whereby boiler-pressure is admitted to each cylinder during alternate quarters of the piston revolution. The piston core or hub is in contact with the wall of the cylinder, in which it operates at one point to form a fixed abutment, and in order to insure a steam-tight contact between the surface of the piston-core and cylinder-wall I employ a gib 27, secured in place by means of bolts 2S and adapted to be adjusted or'set inwardly as the parts of the mechanism become worn in order to prevent back pressure of the motive agent. In the construction illustrated the gib is of longitudinally tapered or V shaped, with its long diameter arranged parallel with the axis of the cylinder, and hen'ce the extremities of the piston-wings having a shorter engagement with the gib, coming in contact first with that portion of the contiguous side edge of the gib which is adjacent to the long end or base thereof. This avoids the obstruction of the piston-wing in rotation, and hence reduces the friction due to the use of the gib to the minimum. The heads 29 of the bolts which are employed to hold the gib in place are fitted in a cross-sectionally-dovetailed groove 30 in the outer side of the gib to facilitate the engagement of the bolts with the gib, allow the accurate adjustment of the gib with relation to the bolts, and provide for the displacement and subsequent replacement of the gib without entirely removing the bolts when one of the cylinder-heads has been withdrawn. Also carried by each of the outer heads 9 of the eccentric cylinders is a stuffing-box, including a gland-plate 3l, held in place by glandbolts 32 to prevent leakage of motive agent between the piston core or hub and the alined openings in the eccentric-cylinder heads.

From the above description it will he seen that boiler-pressure is maintained permanently in the feed-chamber 25 and that the cut-off, which is carried by the piston, alternately opens communication between the feed-chamber and a cylinder through the port 22, feed-cavity 20, and feed-port 2l at a point between the fixed abutment formed by the meeting surface of the piston-core to the cylinder-wall in the plane of the gib 27 and the contiguous extremity of the piston-wing to impart boiler-pressure to the piston-wing. This boiler-pressure (which, for instance, is seventy pounds) is maintained upon the piston-wing during approximately one-fourth of a revolution of the piston, although the length of time during which boiler-pressure is maintained or during which boiler-pressure is admitted may be varied to suit the requirements of the engine. Then the boiler-pressure is excluded from the cylinder by the closing of the port 22 by means of the cut-o, the piston is .actuated by the expansion of the motive agent through the remainder of a onehalf revolution of the piston. By this time the other end of the piston-wing has reached an operative position and boiler-pressure is applied thereto. The space within the cylinder in front of that end of the piston-wing which is receiving the pressure is in open communication with the exhaust-port 12, and hence the steam or other motive agent is escapin g into the exhaust-chamber 1l and from thence through an exhaust-pipe 33. The advantage of thus forming an exhaust-chamber around the cylinder is to maintain the latter at a suitable temperature to reduce tothe minimum the condensation of the steam or other motive agent. During the time that the piston ofone cylinder is operating under the expansion of the motive agent previously admitted the piston of the other cylinder is exposed to boiler-pressure, and hence, assuming that the expansive pressure of the motive agent is forty-eight pounds, it will be seen IIO that the combined boiler and expansive pressures of the motive agent upon the pistou is the sum of seventy and forty-eight, or one hundred and eighteen pounds. When the boiler-pressure is cut oi`t` from the secondnamed cylinder7 it is cut into the first-named cylinder, while the piston in second-named cylinder is operating under expansive pressure. Thus throughout the revolution of the piston it is exposed to the combined boiler and expansive pressures, the one being applied to the piston of one cylinder, while the other is applied to the piston ofthe other cylinder.

In order to avoid back pressure, due either to compression in front of the piston-wing or vacuum in rear thereof, as during the time that the inoperative end ot a piston-wing is Jtraversing the distance between the exhaustport and the point oi' contact of the piston core or hub with the cylinder-wall, or is traversing the distance between said point of contact and the feed-port 21, I employ an auxiliary feed-port 84, which is in permanent communication with the feed-chamber 25, and an auxiliary exhaust-port 35, which is in permanent communication with the exhaust-chamber Il, said auxiliary feed and exhaust ports being located upon opposite sides of the fixed abutment or the point of contact of the pistonhub with the wall of the cylinder, and respectivelybetwecnthe main feed and exhaust ports and said point of contact. Thus as the pistonwing leaves the point of contact in its approach to the main feed-port and before the cut-ott' has admitted steam-pressure to the cavity 2O the auxiliary feed-port, which is of smaller capacity, supplies motive agent directly from the feed-chamber to the space in rear of the wing. In the same wayduring the time that the inoperative end of the pistonwing is traversing the wall of the cylinder after passing the main exhaust-port the auxiliary exhaust-port allows pressure to be relieved into the exhaust-chamber. I do not arrange the main exhaust-port at the point indicated for the auxiliary exhaust-port, for the reason that I desire to allow suiiicient time for the exhaust of the motive agent and at the same time avoid trailing7 the motive agent after it has performed its function. Hence the main exhaust-port is so disposed as to be exposed by one end of the piston-wing just before the application of pressure to the other end of the piston-wing through the main feed-port 2l and after the last-named end of the piston-wing has passed the auxiliary feed port 34, and hence has cut out the last-named port to prevent reducing the boiler-pressure directly through the exhaust-port. It will be understood that the auxiliary feed-port is formed in the enlargement of the cylindercasing and enters the feed-chamber at a point beyond the periphery of the cut-off. (See Fig. 1l.)

In order to give access to the interior of the easing without necessitating the removal of one ot the heads thereof, I provide the cylindrical wall of the casing with openings 3G, fitted with removable caps 37, held in place by any suitable means, such as bolts.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and t-he minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ot' the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim isv l. A rotary engine having a cylinder divided by transverse partitions to form eccentric -piston chambers and an intermediate feed-chamber, the walls of the piston-chambers being spaced from the wall of the cylinder to form exhaust-chambers, with which the piston-chambers are in communication, connected winged pistons operating in the piston-chambers, and aout-ott carried by the piston in the feed-chamber, for controlling feed-ports in communication with said piston-chambers, substantially as speciiied.

2. A rotaryengine having acylinder, eccentric-piston chambers of which the heads are extended to form cylinder-partitions, between the inner of which is provided a feed-chamber, the spaces between the walls of the eccentric-piston chambers and the cylinderwall, constituting exhaustchambers with which the piston-chambers are in communication by exhaust-ports, connected winged pistons operatingin the piston-chambers, and a cut-off actuated by the pistons for controlling feed-ports between said feed-chamber and the piston chambers, substantially as specified.

3. Arotary engine havinga cylinder, eccentric-piston chambers arranged within the cylinder and having their heads extended to form cylinder-partitions, between the inner of which is provided a feed-chamber, the intervals between the eccentric-piston-chamber walls and the cylinder-wall constituting exhaust-chambers with which said piston-chambers communicate by exhaust-ports, and the piston-chambers being arranged on the quarter, a piston having a common core or hub and wings respectively operating in the piston-chambers, and a cut-ott arranged in the feed-chamber and carried by said core, for controlling feed-ports in communication with the piston-chambers, substantially as specied.

4. A rotary engine having a cylindrical casing, a piston-shaft arranged concentrically therein, outer and inner partitions arranged transversely in the casing, the inner partition being spaced apart to form an intermediate teed-chamber,eccentric-piston-chamber walls arranged between each inner partition and the adjacent outer partition and having feedports for connecting t-he feed-chamber with the piston-chamber, and exhaust-ports being formed in said piston-chamber walls for communication with the exhaust-chambers, consisting of the spaces between said piston- IIO chamber Walls and the casing, pistons opererating in the piston-chambers, and a cut-off actuated by the piston-shaft for controlling the feed-ports of the piston-chambers, substantially as specified.

5. A rotary engine having a feed-chamber, a piston-chamber provided in its Wall With spaced permanently-open main and auxiliary exhaust-ports, a piston operating in the piston-chamber, spaced main and auxiliary feedports, of diiferent cross-sectional areas, for connecting the piston-chamber with the feedchamber, the piston-win g being adapted to pass the auxiliary and main feed-ports successively in its forward movement, and a cutoff actuated by the piston for controlling the main feed-port, substantially as specified.

6. A rotary engine having coaxial feed and exhaust chambers, an eccentric-piston chamberarranged Within the exhaust-chamber and having in its Wall an exhaust-port in communication with the exhaust-chamber, main and auxiliary feed -ports of different cross-sectional-areas for connecting the piston-chamber with the feed-chamber, a piston arranged in the piston-chamber, and a cut-off actuated by the piston for controlling the main feedport, substantially as specified.

7. A rotary engine having a cylinder, a piston, a valve-controlled main feed-port in communication With the cylinder, and a permanently-open auxiliary feed-port, of 'less crosssectional area than the main feed-port,in communication with the cylinder at a point in advance of the main feed-port, whereby it is passed by a piston-wing before said Wing reaches the main feed-port, substantially as specified.

S. A rotary engine having a cylinder provided With feed and exhaust ports, a piston.

having Wings for traversing the Wall of the cylinder, and a gib arranged in the Wall of the cylinder between the feed and exhaust ports, that edge of the gib With whichthe pis-V ton-wing rst comes in contact in its advance movement, being disposed obliquely to the path of movement of the piston-Wing, substantially as specilied.

9. A rotary engine having a cylinder, an eccentric Winged pistou having its core in contact at one point with the Wall of the cylinder,

and a gib arranged at the point of contact of the piston-core and cylinder-wall, said gib being tapered longitudinally to present an obliqnely-disposed edge for contact With the contiguous edges of the piston-Wing, substantially as specified.

l0. A rotary engine having a cylinder, an eccentric-piston having its core arranged at one point in contact with the wall of the cylinder, a longitudinally-tapered gib arranged at the point of contact of the piston-core with the cylinder-Wall and provided with a longitudinal cross-sectionally-dovetailed groove, and headed securing bolts engaging said groove, and extending outwardly through the wall of the cylinder, substantially as speciied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. v

Jol-1N PUTMAN.

Witnesses:

A. R. PIFER, LOUIS BEY. 

